Last week several members of the community were honored at the annual Tribute to Leadership, an event that celebrates the graduation of the current Leadership Anne Arundel class. Congratulations and best wishes go out to Lisa Hillman who received the Distinguished Graduate Award, Hank R. Gundlach who received the President’s Award, Tatiana Johanning Klein who received the Patrick M. Lee Volunteer of the Year Award and Leslie Suarez who received the Community Champion Award.
The gym/future black box theater area of Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts was packed with former Leadership graduates, families, and business leaders who sampled a variety of tasty food items while sipping beer, wine, and greeting old friends.
This week folks around town are gearing up for a wide array of fourth of July activities. One of the most unique is the Naturalization Ceremony held at the William Paca House.

Naturalization Ceremony
William Paca House and Garden, 186 Prince George Street

The William Paca House and Garden was home of a Signer of the Declaration of Independence, so how fitting it is that forty new citizens will be sworn in at a naturalization ceremony, held on the rear terrace in the historic district of Annapolis July 4th at 10: a.m.. John W. Guild, President and CEO of Historic Annapolis, will host the event, and trustee John M. Belcher will be the keynote speaker. A native of Canada, John will talk about his own experiences becoming a naturalized citizen of the United States. The Oath of Allegiance will be administered by an official with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Annapolis High School’s NJROTC cadet color guard and the All Children’s Chorus of Annapolis will be part of the festivities which has become an annual Independence Day tradition.
“If you’ve never witnessed a naturalization ceremony,” says Guild,”it really is something you ought to see. It makes you proud to be an American.”
The event is free but seating is limited. Seating for the ceremony will be reserved for the new citizens and their invited guests, with limited seating and standing room available for members of the general public.
Be really for an Parade , free downtown concert, and Fireworks display launched from the What’s Up? Media barge. More information on area events is on our website http://www.WhatsUpMag.com

Published by Nadja Maril

Nadja Maril is a communications professional who has over 10 years experience as a magazine editor.
A writer and journalist, Maril is the author of several books including: "American Lighting 1840-1940", "Antique Lamp Buyer's Guide", "Me, Molly Midnight; the Artist's Cat", and "Runaway, Molly Midnight; the Artist's Cat". Her short stories and essays have been published in several small online journals including Scarlet Leaf Review and Storynews. She has an MFA in creative writing from Stonecoast at the University of Southern Maine.
Former Editor-in-Chief of What's Up ? Publishing, former Editor of Chesapeake Taste Magazine a regional lifestyle magazine based in Annapolis, and former Lighting Editor of Victorian Homes Magazine, Maril has written hundreds of newspaper and magazines articles on a variety of subjects..
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